QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) --- A man in a wheelchair is accused of stabbing three people in Queens, including a 69-year-old woman who was slashed in the face, authorities said.
Kareem Phillips, 31, was charged with attempted murder, assault, attempted assault, and criminal possession of a weapon in connection to the March 16 attacks, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office.
Phillips allegedly stabbed the 69-year-old woman while she crossed the street near 31st Avenue and 54th Street at around 12:30 p.m. He allegedly pulled her to the ground and punched her in the face before stabbing her in the face and stomach with a knife, according to court records. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Police found the defendant holding two knives at the intersection. He allegedly threw a blood-covered blade at one of the cops, prosecutors said.
Before the incident, Phillips was in a wheelchair when he allegedly stabbed a 59-year-old man in the back and slashed a 46-year-old jogger in her arm within minutes, prosecutors said. Phillips chased the man until the victim ducked into a friend's building. The man and the jogger needed stitches for their wounds.
“Within the span of just a few minutes, the defendant is alleged to have attacked three people and could have taken their lives. These attacks were unprovoked," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
If convicted, Phillips faces up to 65 years in prison.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.